MSU police issue warrant requests
EAST LANSING - Ingham County prosecutors say they've received warrant requests from police at Michigan State University in a sexual assault investigation that has led to the suspension of three football players from team activities.
Prosecutors have asked for additional information and evidence.
Prosecutors anticipate making a decision on charges "in the short-term future," according to a spokesperson at the prosecutor's office
Names of the players haven't been released.
The Ingham County Prosecutors office confirmed that a fourth warrant was issued for a non-sexual crime, believed to be in relation to obstruction of investigation.
"Detectives from the Michigan State University Police Department have conducted a thorough and professional investigation of this incident," prosecutor Carol Siemon said in a statement Thursday afternoon. "I have asked the MSU Police Department to continue that investigation and submit to our office additional information and evidence. Upon the review of those materials, I will determine a charging decision in this matter."
The school disclosed the case last week, saying that as part of the criminal investigation detectives were interviewing members of the coaching staff and other relevant people following a complaint made in January.
The players also were removed from on-campus housing.
Curtis Blackwell, director of college advancement and performance for the MSU football program, also was suspended.
Michigan State University President Lou Anna Simon met with the Board of Trustees today and read a statement about the investigations, including the football scandal and the separate sexual assault charges against former MSU gymnastics physician Dr. Larry Nassar.
“I have no necessary concerns that there are big issues,” Simon told reports after Friday’s Board of Trustees meeting. “But the confidence of the community requires that we look at it diligently.”
On Friday, MSU’s Board of Trustees approved a one-year contract extension for head football coach Mark Dantonio, which is part of the rollover arrangement of the contract he signed last year.
"My sense is that if we had anything to be concerned about, we wouldn't have moved forward with the action today," Simon said. "We're still looking at everything, because it's in his interests as well."
But MSU continues to look into the program.
MSU spokesperson Jason Cody said on Thursday that MSU has retained Detroit law firm Jones Day to investigate the football program.